Maryam

Zachariah, or Zakariyyah, who was the chief administrator of the Haykal (Solomon’s temple) was married to Mary’s mother’s sister. Maryam was only five years old when her father, Imran, died. After his death, Zachariah was appointed in his place as the leader of the priests. At that time, Mary, in fulfillment of the pledge made by her mother, was placed in the service of the Haykal. As Zachariah was a close relative of hers and also the chief of the Haykal, he was given the responsibility of bringing her up. Zachariah silently prayed to God and the prayer was granted in an astonishing and wonderful manner. This shows what real prayer is. True prayer is a spontaneous expression of the firm belief that all powers vest in God. Man receives every single thing only on His giving it to him, and no one can own a thing if He does not confer it on him. True prayer needs to be directed solely towards the one and only God. That is why true prayer gushes forth when one is alone—when there is nobody present except God and oneself.

This is the prayer of one who had grown very old while pursuing a religious mission and failed to find among his family members anybody to carry on his task after him. The feeling of his own helplessness on the one hand, and the realization of the tremendous importance of his mission on the other, combine in the prayer expressed in these verses. In other words, this was not a mere prayer for a son in the usual sense: it was a prayer for a worthy successor capable of carrying on his prophetic mission after him.

This prayer was answered by the granting of a son—an extraordinary happening, as a son is not ordinarily born to people in such circumstances. The birth of a child to a couple, where the husband was extremely old and his wife had been barren throughout her life, was really a most unusual event. On account of this, Zachariah’s pleasure on receipt of this extraordinary and unexpected news spontaneously expressed itself as disbelief: how could he have a child when he and his wife were incapable of having children?

Just as the creation of the first human being, without a father or a mother, was a miracle of God, the birth of a child through a father and a mother is also God’s miracle, irrespective of whether the father and mother are old or young. The fact is that it is God who creates man. He created him in the first instance and He creates man even today. The seeming cause is not the real reason, though appearances would suggest otherwise. Zachariah asked for a sign as a token of the mercy God should shower upon him. He was told that, in spite of being healthy, if he could not talk for three continuous days and nights, he should take it to be a confirmation of his wife’s pregnancy. So, when the time came, his tongue would not utter a sound and he become mute. He came out of his place of worship and started exhorting the people by signs to remember God day and night, to worship Him and always obey Him. Probably Zachariah was in the habit of delivering sermons and good advice to people every day. So when he was rendered speechless, he went to the usual meeting place and, as always, gave good advice to the people. But, since he could not speak, he counseled people by signs.

It is said that once during John’s childhood, some children asked him to come and play with them. He refused and said, ‘We have not been created for this.’ This shows that from his very childhood he was conscious that life should be purposeful. Sensitive by nature and possessed of a feeling heart, he was free of psychological complexes. He scrupulously fulfilled his duties to his parents and was completely devoid of arrogance or willfulness. These are the qualities that give man the ability never to diverge from the path of God’s Book. It is the possessor of such qualities who is showered with God’s mercy in this world and in the life hereafter.

Mary, in accordance with her mother’s pledge, was placed in the service of the Haykal (Solomon’s Temple). The eastern part of the Haykal of ancient times was set apart for women. Mary hung a curtain in a corner in this part to segregate herself from others and devote herself entirely to worship. Soon thereafter, she found a strong healthy man standing before her. It was only natural that this made her suddenly afraid. But the stranger said that he was an angel and that he had come from God to perform the miracle of giving Mary a son. This miraculous birth of Jesus was a great sign from God. The purpose of this was to leave the people in no doubt as to his having been sent by God, so that they should accept whatever he said on His behalf. But, in spite of such clear signs, they refused to accept him.

Mary was an unmarried lady of a respectable and religious family. Being pregnant meant a calamitous trial for a lady like her; a trial of unparalleled severity. Ridden with anxiety, she quietly left the Haykal and went to far-off Bethlehem. When the time came and the labour pains began, she went out of town and sat under a date-palm tree. What a chaste, unmarried lady like her was going through at the time can be imagined from these words she uttered: ‘Alas! Why didn’t I die before this, so that my very existence would have been obliterated from people’s memories?’

In such difficult and trying circumstances, Mary could have had only one source of consolation, and that was that God’s angel should appear and reassure her; and that is exactly what happened. At that very movement, an angel came and told her to have no fear and said that whatever was taking place was in accordance with God’s plan. She was told that a spring of fresh water had been made to flow nearby, from which she might drink and that the palm tree would supply her with fresh fruits, which she might eat. As far as the child was concerned, the angel comforted her by saying that the miraculously born child was himself sufficient to defend her. She was advised to take a vow of strict silence as was customary among the Children of Israel. If anyone approached her and made enquiries, she was advised to point to the child, who would himself give a reply and absolve her of any responsibility.

Mary gained confidence on hearing the words of the angel. She took the child and returned to her family. Seeing her in this condition, the Jewish people started condemning and scolding her. Maryam did as the angel had told her. She remained silent and pointed towards the child, meaning that this was not an ordinary type of child and in order to have proof thereof, they should talk to him and he, in spite of being an infant, would understand what they said and give a clear reply.

In spite of Mary’s pointing toward the child, the people could not understand how they were supposed to talk to a small child. At that time, the child himself started speaking. In his miraculous utterances, there was, on the one hand, complete absolution of Mary and, on the other, advance evidence of his prophethood, so that when he grew up and declared his prophethood, there should be no scope for any doubt about it.